My passion in life is photography, on this blog you will find many photographs from my photojournalism work.
Enjoy viewing the images if you wish to purchase them, you can do so through http://www.hewhotellsastory.co.uk

Monday, 11 August 2014

Empire Strikes Back

From time to time we share
our knowledge of literature, photography, film or any other form art. So when
someone you follow and admire begins to share some literature, which is also
accompanied by some of most prolific photographs of places, I have only ever
heard of and not seen with my own eyes, well you begin to listen with ears
pricked.

The context of the book is
at first uncertain so I decide to look up the photographer, to get an idea of
the person, I realise of course that the photographer is also published on Dewi
Lewis Publishing, founded in 1994 its internationally known for its photography
list.

I then investigate further
and see a name I am familiar with after visiting the Open Eye Gallery, at Mann
Island. That name is Charles Fréger he photographed a series of images that
depict a link between man and beast and the cycle of life and that of the
seasons too.

His work Wilder Mann is an outstanding piece of work, it
focuses on the transformation of man into beast through the interpretation of
traditional pagan rituals, these rituals differ slightly from region to region
as do the images of the beasts.

It reminded me of a conversation I had with British
photographer Iain McKell, and the relationship between British identity and
traditional beliefs. The conversation took place after meeting Iain at a
seminar at Calumet photographic shop in Drummond Street, London.

When you view Iain’s works Beautiful Britain and The New Gypsies we begin to understand the link to identity and the way the people
live, all photography is thus a documentary it is a portrait of life.

This style of photography has always had me hooked
from the start; I guess it’s the learning process, the education of viewing
another culture and learning from that experience through education and
stimulation of ones intellect.

I like to think that is what drives me to progress
further with my own photography, as I wish to produce much more work, work that
will interest a future generation. Who knows it may become something much more
than that. I also like to read other blogs too, though am the type of person
who likes to censor what blogs I do follow or read, so I specifically choose
something of which is relevant to the direction I wish to choose.

So if you’re into wildlife photography, you could
follow blogs relative to that subject, so that you become more accustomed to
that genre or style of photography work. It is the best way to interact with
those you wish to follow.

Other books I found of interest on the list was one
that Dougie Wallace had also shared on his own page, this book was relative to
the identity of Britain and that of the Britishness that describes our tribe
and associates that identity to the old empire, hence the title Empire, the
book by British born photographer Jon Tonks is a remarkable collection of
photographs that evoke so much emotion considering the current state of the
empire.

Empire is a fascinating journey across the South Atlantic exploring life on
four remote islands – the British Overseas Territories of Ascension Island,
Tristan da Cunha, the Falkland Islands and St. Helena ­– relics of the once
formidable British Empire, all intertwined through their shared history. - Christopher Lord

Now when I refer to the current state of the empire, I
am of course referring to the possible independence of Scotland. Glasgow has
recently enjoyed huge success with the commonwealth games. All these people
from a wider colonial empire, and in some manner still representing a state of
mind of a wider colonial empire whether it is from an Australian perspective or
from an Indian.

It’s hard to think if you are only in your youth that
Britain was once a huge empire that covered a quarter of the globes landmass.
Since that time photography has documented so much and it is great to see that
some British photographers, still think of Britain in such a way as to document
its ever-changing face.

Which brings me on to the next piece of photographic
literature and Dougie Wallace’s third book entitled Shoreditch Wild Life.

The new book by Dougie is full of fantastic shots
captured in the usual in your face style that has become Dougie’s inspiring,
fresh, and evocative trademark. If any you follow his work you will know of his
works including Road Wallah which is
a fascinating look at the black and yellow Fiat taxis driven in what was known
as Bombay now Mumbai, India.

The reason for this was the gradual phasing out for
the new sleeker vehicles that would meet European Emission Standards. So those
iconic cars had to be documented some how and so it was Dougie Wallace who takes
up the mantle and thus creates an interesting look at the culture of Mumbai
from a cab drivers perspective.

With Shoreditch: Wild Life Dougie Wallace not only
proves he’s here very much a street photographer, but a great photojournalist
who has the inclination of capturing images that we can relate to in our own
little mannerisms, we see ourselves in everyday life, those little nuances of
humor we recognise in ourselves that seem to amplify, when captured at 500th
of a second.

We begin to see time stop and these moments forever
held with the incongruous and evocative style we have come to love from Dougie.

These photographs are very touching and quite
dramatically so. If you have not seen his work I suggest you look at “Stags,
Hens and Bunnies”. If you have ever been to Blackpool on a weekend for a night
out or Stag or Hen weekend you will know how this is for so many couples across
the UK and beyond.

I myself am always bumping into Stags and Hens in
Liverpool, Manchester, and London. I did a couple of trips around the United
Kingdom last year for shots on my own book We The PeopleI found Blackpool a great place to shoot as a street
photographer, so if you ever venture north of Watford you're in for a great
shoot.

Keep your wits about you, and you can progress onto
greater things, one thought that always crosses my mind when I am shooting.

What I have learned from Dougie Wallace is be
tenacious in your beliefs and you will be rewarded. The human condition opens
up all possibilities, so many characters, and so many stories.

All the afore mentioned photographers have developed
these skills and honed them to look for and capture the human condition, any
gesture a couple hugging, a dog peeing against a piece of street furniture, a
cabbie shouting.